Surrey Project Parent

Welcome to Project Parent,

the show that puts you in charge of your single parent's life.

-# La la la...

-PHONE RINGS

-Hello.

-Hi, is that Angellica?

-Yes, it is.

Please help, my mum's social life is non-existent

and her fashion sense is terrible.

She buys most of her clothes from the men's department.

-OK, that's serious. I'm on my way.

-OK, thanks.

Today's project manager is 12-year-old Henry.

I'm so excited about taking control of my mum's life.

Henry is on a mission to transform his mum's image...

-She might wear these shoes.

-You're joking with me now!

..find a groovy guy to take Mum on a fun night out...

Hopefully I'll see you later.

..and create serious mayhem in the

-Project Parent surveillance van.

-Anyone got a sick bucket?

Three...two...one.

Welcome to Project Parent, the show that puts you in

charge of your mum or dad's life.

This is your chance to seize control

of what they wear and who they go out with.

Today I'm in Surrey to meet a boy who's determined to transform his

mum from a fashion disaster to a dance floor sensation.

Meet this week's project manager, 12-year-old Henry.

I'm really into fashion.

I always think about what I'm wearing

and make sure I'm wearing what looks good and cool.

His mum is 43-year-old nurse Sylvia.

My mum is really caring, she loves animals,

she's always looking after them.

My animals are a very big part of my life. Yes, who's a silly dog?

Mum loves animals so much she can even do impressions of them.

Moooo, baa-aa, meow, woof-woof!

My mum has a very boring and dull look, she wears jumpers and jeans.

A pair of jeans and another pair of jeans.

Because I'm 5'11" tall, it's such a struggle to find clothes that

actually fit. I sometimes go and buy things in the men's department.

My mum works very hard, she never really gets a chance to go out.

The last fun night out I had...

Erm, I can't remember, sorry!

My mum loves dancing but she never really gets the opportunity.

It's just such fun.

It's something that I would love to do again.

I'd like to send her back onto

the dance floor looking like the glamorous Dancing Queen.

If I could create the perfect man for my mum, he would have

Russell Crowe's hair, Vinnie Jones' nose, and Antonio Banderas' chin.

I'm really nervous about Henry taking control over what I'm going

to wear and how I'm going to look

because sometimes he has some really, really wacky ideas.

I'm really excited about taking control of my mum's life because

it gives me a chance to do things for her.

I'm here to help Henry kickstart Mum's social life

and I've brought along international stylist Darren to sort out her look.

Darren's got a sharp eye for the latest fashion trends

so he's the perfect man to help Mum rediscover her passion for fashion.

-Oh, hi.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Come in.

Thank you.

This is my mum, this is Angellica and Darren.

-Hello, Sylvia.

-Hello, very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, how are you?

-Good to see you.

-We came as fast as we could, didn't we?

-We did, I have to say I'm dying

to see the wardrobe of someone who shops in the men's department.

-Henry, shall we look at the crime scene?

-Sure.

-Sylvia, what is this about your social life?

-A bit lacking.

-Yes, shall we have a talk?

-Go on.

-So serious problem with the wardrobe, oh, this is it?

-Yes.

This is the entire...? So jeans, jeans, completely shapeless shirts.

-OK talk to me, what's the problem here?

-It's all hand-me-downs.

-Is it?

-And she never actually really goes to the shop and buys anything.

When's the last time your mum actually went shopping?

Erm...

First things first, what qualities are you looking for in a man?

Somebody with a sense of humour, it's very important.

I'd like if they could dance, that would be really nice,

so I can do some dancing with them.

Are these men's jeans?

Erm... I think they are.

They're completely shapeless.

I've actually never come across this before, a woman who shops

in the men's department. It's a recipe for disaster

cos it's not going to work. She's got that height,

she's got that stature, I think it's amazing, it's such an asset to have.

So it's our job to make her look fabulous and glam.

So being tall means it's difficult to find clothes, is that right?

Finding stuff that fits is really difficult.

It gets to the point where you go in and you think

"I've tried it on, it doesn't fit." So I go to the men's section.

She might wear this.

She might wear a sort of black shawl with it and sort of shoes like

these shoes, these pair.

She wouldn't, you're joking with me now!

Are you telling me she'd wear these with this?

They are men's shoes.

What do you think when you see her dressed like this?

I'm really embarrassed.

Who would be your ideal celebrity man?

My ideal celebrity man would be Colin Firth. He's tall,

I think he's handsome as well, and he seems like a really nice guy.

"Seems"? I am a really nice guy.

Henry, if you could wave a magic wand,

what would your ideal look for your mum be?

Well, I'd like her to have a nice green and red dress,

maybe some flat red hair,

some gold sparkly shoes and maybe some earrings and some accessories.

You're going for a very glam image, what's the purpose behind that?

I want her to look a bit more, like, feminine, like she's a Dancing Queen.

How do you feel about Henry taking over? And be straight with me.

Well, it is a bit of a worry, I think it'll be all right.

I hope, anyway!

Well, Henry, it's clear we've got a mammoth task on our hands.

-Are you ready to be a project manager?

-Definitely.

Sylvia is great, and she's such a caring person as well.

She's a nurse, looks after the children, all the animals.

-It's time someone looked after her.

-It's a struggle buying clothes

when you're that tall. I think it's going to be tough.

-I'd love to be taller.

-Really?

-Funny!

Ah, I'm so excited about taking control of my mums' life.

It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and as a kid you never get to do it.

The first step is to find a twinkle-toed fellow to whisk

Mum off her feet. And this is where it all begins, in the

Project Parent surveillance van, stuffed with the latest gizmos

and high-tech listening equipment, it's a neat bit of kit.

The van also boasts microphones, cameras, and surveillance screens

so it's the perfect place for Henry to interrogate our three wannabe

matches, who will be sitting here in the cow-print hot seat.

If Henry doesn't like what they've got to say...

there's also the big red buzzer.

I say, that's not cricket.

First up is Jeffrey. He's into nature and

the great outdoors so should be a hit with animal-lover Sylvia.

Next is Tim, he's a fanatical practical joker,

which is good news, as Sylvia likes a man who can make her laugh.

Last up is Stuart. Like Sylvia, he's a keen dancer who loves to strut his

stuff on the dance floor.

And if these three don't float Henry's boat,

there's a back-up plan in the shape of Dawn, Mum's best friend.

First person, please.

MOOING

Hello, I'm Jeffrey.

My mom loves Colin Firth in Mamma Mia.

# Mamma Mia, here I go again... #

Can you sing Dancing Queen wearing these props?

# See that girl, watch that scene Diggin' the Dancing Queen... #

-He's not a bad singer.

-He's good.

My mum loves animals and does great animal impressions.

Can you impersonate three animals and I will guess what they are?

I'd have said a gorilla.

-Oink-oink.

-That's a pig.

-OK.

HE SNORTS

-That's a bull.

-Yes.

OK, not bad animal impressions.

-Thank you.

-OK, thank you.

-Thank you, Henry.

I think I should be chosen. I am a brilliant person, full of fun.

OK, can we have the next person, please?

MOOING

Nice shirt.

My mum likes quick-thinking men. Prove you're quick thinking

by patting your head and rubbing your stomach.

OK, fair enough.

My mum loves men to have a good sense of humour. Tell us your best joke.

What's pink and fluffy?

-Is it candyfloss?

-Nope, it's pink fluff.

BUZZ

What's pink and fluffy? It's not funny.

OK, moving on, can you sing Dancing Queen wearing these props?

# Friday night and the lights are low...

Oh!

# Looking out for the place to go Where the play... #

You started off kind of well but then it's like a poem, no tune whatsoever.

-Thank you, hopefully I'll see you later.

-Thank you very much.

I got some laughter, I got some good responses but we'll have to see.

Next person, please.

MOOING

My mum loves dancing. Can you dance?

-I can boogie.

-Prove it.

Whoa!

Oh, you'll see this flair, I'm a show-oh-oh!

Very good.

Can you sing Dancing Queen wearing these props?

# See that girl, watch that scene

# Diggin' the Dancing Queen... #

-That's fine.

-OK, thank you very much.

My mum isn't at all squeamish. Prove you're not by putting on a

blindfold and eating the object in front of you.

I'll tell you what it is - trifle, sardines and Spam.

-What have you done?

-Anyone got a sick bucket?

-Goodbye, take care.

-See you later.

I think he's quite nice, yeah.

-You like all of them.

-Yeah, I know, it's torture.

It's really going to be torture picking one.

I think I did quite well. I could hear him laughing quite a lot

so, yeah, bring it on.

Henry, it's time now to make a decision, someone's got to go home.

-Yes.

-So let's have a little recap of

what we saw, what we liked and what we didn't like.

Let's start off with Jeff.

He did a good singing,

and he definitely did good animal impressions.

And then we had Tim.

His jokes weren't at all very good,

but apart from that he looked like he really wanted to go out with my mum.

And then we had Stuart who came in.

He was very funny, very interesting.

And then we've got Dawn, your mum's friend, and we'll keep

-her in the mix just in case.

-Yes.

Do you have an idea who you'll send home now?

It's been a tough decision but I think I've decided it will have to be

Tim.

-Bye, Tim.

-Bye.

I'm a little bit disappointed, it would have been nice to have

met the mum and gone through to the activities and gone out and

done various bits, but no, it wasn't to be.

Toodle-pip, old chap.

So just two fellows remain plus Mum's best friend, Dawn.

We've arranged for one of them to join Sylvia at this exclusive

London venue for the dance of a lifetime,

but first we need to fix her image.

Project manager Henry loves his fashion.

I make sure I'm wearing what looks good and cool.

But his mum is a fashion disaster who shops in the men's department.

-She'd wear these with this?

-I'm really embarrassed.

Sylvia's 5'11" tall so she struggles to find glamorous clothes that fit,

but luckily, stylist Darren is on standby to give her a new look.

Right, guys, I think it's time we split up and go shopping.

Mum, I want you to go off and find something that you like.

Henry, we're going to find some that

we like. But first, some fashion rules, young man.

Mum, no jeans and no shopping in men's shops.

-I'll try.

-Have you got it?

-I've got it.

-Right, off you go and we'll see you in a bit.

-OK.

Henry, let's go this way.

While Mum hits the High Street in search of a glamorous frock that

fits, Darren and Henry have found a small chain

that specialises in clothes for the taller woman.

You see, I'd really like some things that are chic, glamorous.

OK, so what do you think of this?

It's nice, it's stretchy, it's light, and it's got great detail.

I think it hits the glamour level perfectly,

-so let's try it.

-Yes.

Well, they've a great selection of shoes, does your mum wear heels?

-She doesn't really like them.

-I think a lot of tall women

shy away from wearing heels cos they think, "I am already tall,

"I shouldn't wear them." But they're really feminine.

Even something like this, so they're actually not too high

-but they'll lengthen her legs,

-It's got a nice buckle there as well.

-Quite nice.

-Yes, these are quite nice.

It's a bit of a caftan. Shall we try it?

-Yes.

-Good man, you hold that.

-Yep.

Let's do it. Shall we see how she's getting on?

-Yes.

-I wonder how she's doing.

Not too well, by the looks of it.

Sylvia can't seem to find anything glamorous in her size,

so eventually she calls it a day and goes for a coffee.

Mum may be empty-handed but luckily Henry and Darren have been busy,

and now it's time to find out if all their hard work has paid off.

-I think she must be nearly ready, shall we count her in?

-Yes.

OK. Three...two...one.

-Wow. It's good, it's glamorous.

-It's beautiful, I really like it.

Looks like she's got very thin legs.

It does, it balances your shape but it makes the most of your height.

I think you should be dressing to emphasise your height

and show off your figure.

I would never have thought of choosing this, to be honest.

It feels good, I like it.

Wow.

Look at you!

It looks sophisticated and chic but very glamorous as well.

What we can do with this is tie it up so it breaks the outfit up

and brings that proportion we need.

-OK.

-Sylvia!

Wow.

It's probably a bit more glamorous than I'm used to, definitely.

-I think it works really well.

-What I really like

about this dress is the simplicity with the detail round the waist.

I quite like it.

-Nice!

-This dress has some lovely

features. I love the embellishment around the neck, I really like the

billowy sleeves, and I think if we were to belt this, it would give you

much more shape, so it's definitely a contender. How do you feel, Mum?

Well, it's OK. Normally I like them a bit longer.

After a hard day's shopping, Henry's found three outfits for his mum,

but which one will he choose for the big day?

Sylvia loves to dance but she has no social life, and Henry's determined

to find her a fun guy to partner her on a big night out.

Now, so far Henry's narrowed it down to two matches - Jeff and Stuart.

But now it's time to step it up and introduce them to Mum.

To put Jeff and Stuart through their paces, we've arranged for

a couple of cowboys to give them and Sylvia a line-dancing lesson.

I want to see

who's got the best sense of humour, who's got the best moves,

and above all, who's willing to make a fool of themselves

to impress my mum.

Henry will be eyeballing their every move from the Project Parent

surveillance van, while his mum is also packing a secret earpiece

-so that she can take instructions from Henry.

-Mum, can you hear me?

Great.

First up is Stuart.

-Hi.

-I'm Stuart.

-Hello, I'm Sylvia.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Good to meet you too.

-Our line dancers have put together

a complicated routine which wannabe cowboys Stuart

-and Sylvia need to master.

-This looks quite difficult.

It is very difficult.

So it's just as well the

professionals are on hand to give them the lowdown on the hoedown.

-At least he's laughing.

-Yes.

-All right.

-All right, OK.

-So, ready?

-Yep.

-Lesson over, it's showtime.

And then we go that way and then go backwards.

Stuart might look like a cowboy

-but he sure as dang it don't dance like one.

-He's a terrible dancer.

Go on, you're going to have to lead me because I'm...

But you can leave this one standing that way and just go that way.

-You're a bit of a rubbish dancer, aren't you?

-I am, yes.

If Stuart's struggling with the dancing now, how is

he going to cope when Henry starts playing tricks on him?

Mum, I want you to pretend you've

dropped a contact lens and see if he will pick it up with you.

Why are you thinking about doing that?

To see if he cares and if he's going to be gentlemanly.

Oh, my lens. I've dropped it, I think.

-Ooh, ooh, ooh, that's good, he's looking at her.

-Oh, look, he's

-throwing off his hat, this is serious.

-Here it is.

-Are you all right?

-Yes, it's just a bit stingy but it's all right.

He really does seem genuinely concerned, he's a real gentleman.

-I like the guy how he does that.

-Yes, so do I.

-Now, where were we?

Mum, I want you to do some farmyard

impressions and see if he will do them too.

-Cock a doodle doo!

-Was that a cockerel?

-That's a cockerel.

-That's good, isn't it?

Thank you. Can you make some noises, how about a goat?

-I'll do a cockerel.

-Go on then.

Cock a doodle doo! Cock a doodle doo!

How about chicken ones then?

Bu-uk buk buk buk, bu-uk buk buk buk.!

-Mooooo!

-Grrrrrr.

THEY MAKE VARIOUS ANIMAL NOISES

HE LAUGHS

Thank you very much for your help, nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you as well.

-Take care, bye-bye.

See you later, bye.

-He's nice.

-Yes, good. Very good.

She made me do a few things that were unexpected, one crowing like

a cockerel and chicken, but yes, I'd love to see Sylvia again.

-Next up is Jeff.

-Hello.

-I'm Jeff.

-I'm Sylvia.

-Sylvia, hello, pleased to meet you.

-Good to meet you too.

He's quite tall.

Yes, he's as tall as my mum, maybe even slightly bigger.

-So we're doing a right foot out?

-So it goes tum tum tum...

-Tum...

-Tum tum tum.

No hang on, that wasn't right.

OK, Mum, I want you to say it's boring and start doing some

-disco moves with him, please.

-OK, why?

I want to see if he's happy to make a fool of himself.

# Ha ha ha ha Staying alive, staying alive... #

I'm sure they're not going

to like it if they come in and see us doing that.

Go on then, let's see you do it.

-Ah, no. No.

-He doesn't want to do it, does he?

No, I want to crack this, come on.

-I want to crack this now.

-OK.

Mum, I want you to pretend

to drop a contact lens and then get him to help you find it.

Hang on, I've dropped my contact lens.

Really?

-Ooh.

-Sometimes if you go on the floor, you can see it.

HE LAUGHS

I think he thinks she's slightly crazy!

-I did that when my actual eye fell out once.

-Did it?

It rolled along the floor, it took ages to find.

-He's making a joke of it.

-Yes.

If you want. You can do it.

I'll get that one.

What are they doing? It seems Jeff's not a stick in the mud after all.

We'll see if we can do the dance...

-On that?

-On spacehoppers.

-OK.

Left...right.

THEY BOTH LAUGH

Looks like Jeff's really getting the hang of this. Yee-ha!

Your mum is laughing, she's enjoying herself, isn't she?

-Nice to meet you, Jeff.

-And you.

-Take care.

-Take care, bye-bye.

-So what did you think?

I think she liked him, he's up for a laugh.

If Henry doesn't pick me, well I don't know,

he's just making the wrong choice.

Henry, it's time to get serious, it's time to deliberate.

I'll start off with Jeff, he was

very nice, funny but he didn't really get into the disco moves.

He refused to dance, didn't he?

When Stuart met your mum, how do you think that went?

Stuart seemed a real gent, he really seemed to care whether my mum

found her contact lens and whether she was OK, but he wasn't a very good

dancer, he had two left feet.

We've still got Dawn here, and we'll keep her in

just for the moment, OK?

Have you come to a decision?

The person I'm going to choose to go on a fun night out with my mum is...

The time has come to unveil Sylvia's new look.

Yes, and we've found her the most fabulous figure-flattering outfit,

and her hair and make-up are going to transform her

into a real Dancing Queen.

Henry, as a stylish young man yourself,

you know hair is important. What have you got planned for your mum?

I want it to be straightened,

-cut a little bit, and more colour added.

-You've amazing bone structure

and at the moment we're not seeing it, it's completely lost.

It is completely lost with your hair, so it's giving it shape,

definition, structure, and a more definite colour.

-OK.

-In terms of make-up then, what would you like to see done?

I want her to look glamorous but not too made up.

OK, yes, and I think that's absolutely perfect for your mum

because, Sylvia, you've actually

got quite a flawless complexion, very important that we don't take

away from that by covering you in too much make-up.

Take one last look at yourself there because, Sylvia, you're not going to

-see yourself until the big reveal.

-Oh, no!

No, actually I do trust Henry.

I think he has a certain image

in his mind and I'm fairly certain it will look all right in the end.

Sylvia's makeover is well under way.

Once she's glammed up,

she'll be whisked off in a limousine to a top London ballroom,

but who will join her on the dance floor?

Will it be Jeff, Stuart, or Mum's best friend Dawn?

Hi, this is Henry.

I've chosen you to go out with my mum, put your dancing shoes on,

the car will be there in an hour to pick you up.

Nice, short and sweet.

-Yep.

-Henry's invited friends and

family to an exclusive London hotel to unveil Mum's glamorous new look.

Sylvia normally wears a very relaxed, casual look.

She never really wears anything really glamorous or exciting.

Henry, how are you feeling right now?

-Nervous but excited.

-Good, OK.

-Shall we call her in?

-Yes.

-OK, go for it.

This will be the first time Henry's seen his

mum wearing something glamorous.

-On the count of three.

-Three...two...one!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

-You look amazing.

-Stunning.

I'm speechless. What do you think?

She's glamorous, she's more feminine, she's more beautiful.

-How do you feel?

-I feel very glamorous.

-Do you?

-And you haven't seen yourself?

-No.

-Do you want to?

-Yes.

-Let's do it.

-Are you ready?

-Go for it.

-Three...two...one.

Wow!

-Check it out, check it out!

-I look like a film star.

Yay, that's what we wanted. What's the biggest change for you?

I guess the hair, I feel quite sophisticated.

Henry, a fantastic job. Well done, you.

Hurray!

To see her in a dress with high heels,

and the fact she's got legs, she looks fantastic.

I'll do autographs now if you like!

I think I did a fantastic job. The hair looks really nice

with the new colour and the dress makes her look a lot slimmer.

I think she looks like a real Dancing Queen now.

Before her makeover, Sylvia

dressed in shapeless men's clothes, but Henry's chic, sophisticated new

look has revealed her inner Dancing Queen.

All that remains is for Sylvia to meet the mystery match

that Henry has chosen to partner her on a glamorous night out.

Hello, Sylvia.

-Hello, Stuart.

-For you.

Oh, thank you very much.

Take care, Henry,

-see you later.

-Thank you, Henry.

-See you.

-See you later, bye!

-Bye.

I think I picked the right person because Stuart really

impressed me in the hot seat and he really impressed me in the dancing.

I'm really enjoying being out on the dance floor again and I haven't

done it in so many years and it all came flooding back to me.

-It was really good fun.

-I've really enjoyed Sylvia's company tonight.

She can dance, and I found her very interesting.

I think Stuart is a lovely bloke,

he's really nice company, very nice to have him along.

I think my mum's learned that she can find clothes

for her height and there's another world outside jeans and T-shirts.

I think what Henry has done has been fantastic and I am so proud of him,

and I feel like I've learned something from it as well really.

I'm really glad I did Project Parent because I've seen my mum transform

into a glamorous Dancing Queen.

What a transformation. Sylvia looked fantastic, we did a great job.

She's a good little mover, too.

PHONE RINGS

Hello, Project Parent.

Your dad only wears brown flares

and his social life is just walking the dog?

Listen, this is serious, I'll be there very soon, don't worry.

OK? All right.

Another parent, another project.